Too Late
by CELL.4144
Summary: While at Shili, Ahsoka Tano suffers from recurring nightmares about an unknown Sith Lord. Months after her departure from the Order, she decides to come back in order to make sense of these nightmares. Is the Force trying to tell her something? Will she be too late in finding out the truth? The fate of the Jedi, and the whole galaxy hangs in the balance. AU RotS One-Shot


_**Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine**_

"Ahsoka… Why did you leave?" A sorrowful, heartbroken voice resounded in the vast blackness of space where she stood, the cold sending shivers up her spine. She looked around frantically, trying desperately to see who the voice belonged too. Fear and defiance etched across her face.

A loud rumbling rippled through the space as the broken voice continued. The voice, echoing resentment and bitterness, surged through her "Do you know… What I've become?" it said.

The darkness gripped her entire life-force, she felt trapped, unable to break free, no matter how hard she willed herself to run. A sudden pain shot through her temple as she doubled over holding her head, trying to make the pain go away. She felt her head throb more. She gritted her teeth to prevent herself from screaming. She shut her eyes tightly, her knees giving way as she dropped to cold dark ground, her arms reaching out, the only things keeping her from completely falling over. She felt like a vice grip is crushing her skill while a fire burns her from the inside out.

The torture continued. She screamed at the top of her lungs, she couldn't contain it anymore.

It was much colder now, the kind went down to the bone. Much colder than the winters of Hoth.

Suddenly, her senses were made dull all at once. The pain was gone, the cold was gone, and the burning was gone. She still had her eyes closed, now realizing that the throbbing and the suffocating feeling had ended, she tried to catch her breath. She felt like she had sliced through a thousand battle droids, her muscles were aching, and her breaths sharp and labored. She was exhausted.

A loud crackle, the familiar sound of a lightsaber igniting, echoed through the now completely silent black space. She opened her eyes, still on her hands and knees, the harsh red glow of the lightsaber bathing her skin, her face, and her clothes. The blade was really close to her now.

She used her remaining strength to look up, tracing her gaze on the lightsaber blade. Her eyes, deep with confusion and fear, glided over and up to the hand that held the lightsaber. It was gloved, clad in black leather with metal rings on the armbrace. The red glow prevented her from seeing up any further, except she was able to make out the glowing yellow eyes staring down at her. The eyes of a Sith Lord.

With its other arm, the Sith Lord thrust his hand towards her, and she felt her weight being lifted off the ground, her feet hanging and barely scraping the ground. She felt like a hand is gripping her neck lifting her up. The figure swung its lightsaber back, illuminating its face with an ominous red glow.

She could see him, for a split second, the familiar scar across his eyebrow. But before she was even able to react, before she could suck in another breath, the blade swung back towards her. This time she couldn't even scream as all the pain she experienced earlier came flooding back all at once.

Ahsoka woke up with a start, sweat peppering her forehead. _Was that a vision or just a nightmare?_ Did she really see what she thought she saw? _It couldn't be, not Anakin! He would never turn to the dark side!_ One of the last things the Jedi council has taught her was that the Force worked in mysterious ways, she hated to admit it but she believed them. Vision, dreams, or gut feeling almost always means something, but not always exactly as how they are first portrayed.

She shook her head trying to clear her mind, rubbing her hands on her face and running it along her lekku before getting up and fetching a cup of water to help her relax.

She has had these nightmares before, but never as vivid and never had she seen her killer's face, not until tonight. And it troubled her so much that it was Anakin, of all people, the only Jedi left that she can truly and entirely entrust her life to. _What could this all mean?_

She walked over to the balcony of her room looking over the vast forest of Shili, her homeworld. She has been here soon after she left Coruscant. She had always wanted to visit, her former Master Skywalker even promised to go with her one day. She has been here for six months. Her time spent learning the culture and heritage she was never given the chance to when she was brought to the Jedi Temple. She can't admit to herself that she actually belonged in this community, but she felt a great sense of contentment being so close to and living with her own kind in a peaceful environment, especially after all the fighting.

No, Shili was her place of origin, but it is not her home. Her home was at the Jedi Temple. Coming back to visit the Jedi temple has always been an option for her, at least just to visit friendly familiar faces, but she is resigned to the fact that she may never want to be knighted after all that's happened.

Her musings were distracted when her communicator started beeping. It was linked to her Jedi Starfighter, an ETA-2 model granted to her by the Order as a 'parting gift'. The fighter still received occasional transmissions, mostly mundane military orders or announcements. Normally she would disregard these transmissions but seeing as she was already well awake, she went ahead and played it.

The message dictated the pivotal victory over the Battle of Coruscant against the Separatists and a request for all able starships come back to the capital and replenish the defenses that were lost. _I guess the war is finally coming to an end._

She replaced her communicator on her wrist and looked up the night sky. It was very different here in Shili. The stars here always appeared brighter and more seem to grace the sky than in worlds like Coruscant. It was peaceful and serene from her point of view down at Shili. But out there she knew that hundreds of star systems are under conflict because of the separatists and the Sith Lord. Hundreds of those beautiful stars have planets and moons that have experienced the ravages of war. She wanted this conflict to end so badly. So that peace may reign in the galaxy once more. That the Jedi can become what they are truly meant be, peacekeepers and not weapons of war.

 _Should I come back?_ She searched for the answer in the stars, gripping the wooden balcony tighter as she tried to reach settle for her decision. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes, hands on her hips, while palming her lightsabers. By now she realized it wasn't a question of if, but rather when and why she was going back.

The nightmares means something, she knows it. And the transmission all but confirmed that the war is about to end. Are the two connected somehow? If so, how? Maybe it's time for her to go back? To make sense of her nightmares and find peace regarding her faith in the Order. In anycase, the galaxy, and her life will once again change soon.

She reached behind her lek to find half of her Padawan braid still attached to her headpiece, still gazing at the stars. She removed it and held it on her palm, her finger tips tracing over each bead. She knows that the other half is with her former master, when he offered it to her as he asked him back to be his Padawan again. She closed her eyes at the memory. _I'm sorry Anakin_. She held the braid close to her heart before replacing it on her headpiece. She missed Anakin terribly. But she needed to be away from everyone, at least for a while.

Now the force is trying to tell her something, the nightmares, Anakin, the transmission, she feels they are all connected somehow. She felt the force course through her, and then she felt calm, her mind had cleared. She felt a comfortable warmth radiate from within her. Whatever it was the force was trying to tell her, she feels she find the answer in Coruscant.

She quickly packed her small bag of personal belongings, before turning towards a small table on the side of her room with a built in communicator. She hastily recorded a message, telling her adoptive 'family' that she's leaving. She thanked them for all their help and also reassured them not to worry as she will come back one day soon.

With a press of the button, the recording was saved and she leaped off the balcony down beside her Jedi Starfighter. She tossed her bag in the cockpit before leaping inside herself and taking off all in a matter of seconds. Within minutes, she was in hyperspace heading for Coruscant.

The starfighter jumped jumped out of hyperspace into the welcoming debris field over Coruscant. The remains of the battle clearly still littered the space. Ahsoka expertly dodged the floating debris. It was a cake walk compared to the fighter droids she had to fly against in her previous battles.

Flying down towards the surface, the black space turned into night sky as the Starfighter entered the atmosphere. Ahsoka decided to visit Padme first before heading to the Jedi Temple, as she felt she needed to gather her thoughts, away from force sensitives that my sense her presence.

Just as she was about to dock her starfighter at the top of the apartment complex, she glanced over the direction of the sunset, or at least what she thought was the sunset.

Instead, what she saw was a giant glow of orange and yellow against the darkening sky as the Jedi Temple burned in the distance. She gaped at the sight, speechless. _Was this a Separatist trap? No… It can't be! They were retreating, they lost the battle! Who can be responsible?_ She had the mind to continue docking her starfighter before jumping off and headed towards the blast doors. She easily opened them with the force, running quickly inside. She sensed that Padme was here. She ran to the middle living room across to the other side of the apartment.

Padme stood paralyzed at the sight of the Jedi temple burning. Silent tears streaking her angelic face. All she knew was that the Jedi was accused of assassinating the Chancellor. Shortly thereafter, Order 66 was issued, calling for the immediate termination of all Jedi in the republic. She doesn't know whether or not Anakin was safe. The Jedi can't possibly be behind the attack. Padme has always had her doubts about Chancellor Palpatine, but she never expected him to resort to such a violent act of betrayal. She felt a presence come up behind her but she couldn't look away from the horrific scene before her.

"Padme…" The presence spoke.

It had been a long time since she last heard that voice. She missed her beloved Anakin's Padawan almost as much as he did himself. Though now she wished the circumstances of their reunion be different.

When Padme didn't reply, Ahsoka continued, worry and confusion laced her voice "What happened here? Where is Anakin?"

"I… don't know where he is…" she stopped as a sob escaped her.

"And the other Jedi?" Ahsoka asked, panic zipping all around her body, her hands felt cold and sweaty.

Padme couldn't has suddenly lost strength in her legs, she had to sit down on the nearest couch, eyes closed with uncertainty and worry. Ahsoka noticed the buldge of her stomach, she's pregnant she concluded, but decided to ignore the fact.

"The chancellor announced…." She started, her eyes now settling on Ahsoka's "that the Jedi attempted to murder him…" another sob "the clones had been ordered to kill all Jedi…"

The feeling of cold dread washed over Ahsoka as she finally understood the gravity of Padme's news. She's had her suspicions about the Chancellors true intentions several times before. But she failed to understand why the Chancellor would frame the Jedi this way. _Was this betrayal what the force warned me about? Am I too late?_

Her mind raced. The Jedi are being killed. She can feel it now, through the Force. Clutching painfully at her chest, she sat herself beside Padme, who was now openly letting her tears fall. Ahsoka knew what she had to do, and she can't waste any more time than she already had.

"I will find Anakin and bring him back safe…" Ahsoka promised, with a comforting arm around the senator. She didn't know if she can take on an army of clones by herself, but she can't just stand by as her home is destroyed and her family murdered. She stood then ran back to her starship.

Entering the seat, she closed the cockpit. With trembling hands she proceeded with the takeoff sequence, sometimes needing to push a toggle or button twice because her hands were shaking so much. The ship detached from the dock and sped towards the temple.

Clone transports were flying all around the Temple, while others landed to provide more troops in the attack. She surveyed the area, picking out where best to land but before she could pick a location, plasma fire started whizzing past her fighter coming from the other clone transports circling the Temple.

She wrestled with the controls and made the fighter roll to avoid the plasma fire before pulling the trigger. She managed to shoot down two transports but it didn't make a difference, there were just too many. She pulled up the fighter but several bolts caught the rear wing. The Fighter started to plummet to the ground, Ahsoka fighting desperately to steer the craft away from crashing on the Temple walls. Alarms and warning lights filled the small cockpit as Ahsoka managed to pull up once more, barely grazing the slanted walls of the Jedi Temple before getting hit again. This time the star fighter lost all engine power and managed to climb a few dozen meters before skidding back down against the wall. Ahsoka was knocked painfully against the inner frame of the small Starfighter but kept her composure. She pulled on the controls but they didn't work, smoke clouded her view ports, and the emergency eject was not responding. Thinking quickly, she took her lightsabers and sliced an opening on the hatch before jumping out, aided by the force, as the ship crashed into a fireball at the Temple steps, before she landed atop the steps.

Plasma fire came raining down on her as two assault transports prepared for landing as soon as she recovered from the fall. Before the first transport has even reached the ground, a dark, cloaked figure jumped off and landed around twenty paces from where she stood.

She can feel the dark side emanating from the figure. She felt a deafening silence fall over the area. She felt cold, as if all the warmth was sucked out of place where they stood. In the background the clones marched out of the transport, pointing their blasters at her.

"Ahsoka…" the figure whispered.

Her eyes darted wide open, the memory of her dreams filling her senses. _That voice._ It was the same one that she heard in her dreams. _The Sith Lord._

And that means. _No…._

"Anakin?" her voice cracked, as she stepped slightly backwards away from the figure.

The figure brought his hood down, revealing Anakin Skywalker. The clones started moving forward, ready to take their shots but Anakin held up his hands, as if to signal he would take care of this particular Jedi himself. The clones retreated, and entered the temple.

"Are you behind all of this?" Ahsoka shouted at her former master, her hands feeling numb from gripping her lightsabers too tightly.

"You shouldn't have come back." He said, avoiding the question, anger and hatred evident in his voice.

He ignited his lightsaber. Raising it slowly, pointing one end at his former Padawan.

"Are you going to kill me?" She said with a dry smile. Holding her lightsabers at the ready, but not igniting them yet.

"That depends…" he replied, eyes burning yellow with the dark side of the force. "if you're with me… or against me…" Anakin finished with a whisper.

It was Ahsoka's turn to avoid the question. "Why? Why are you doing this?!" she asked, her eyes pleading for him to explain this bloodshed. This was not at all what she expected when she decided to come back to Coruscant.

All the while Ahsoka could still hear the battle raging inside the temple and jumped when Anakin replied "The Jedi has lost its way! Barriss was right Ahsoka! They Council to kill the Chancellor and take over the Republic!" he shouted.

 _That can't be, it has to be a mistake!_ It can't true. The Jedi will never plot against peace and order. She couldn't believe it, but her Master... She can feel the pain of betrayal and loss, in Anakin through the force.

He stepped forward, lightsaber still raised. He lifted his other hand and motioned for her to take it. "Join me, and together we will bring peace to the galaxy." Anakin said.

Ahsoka looked around in despair. Bodies of clones and Jedi thrown all over the place. She closed her eyes and said in a whisper "I can't…."

Anakin's eyes flared. Ahsoka had rejected him. Again. So be it.

"Then you are against me!" he exclaimed leaping towards Ahsoka, lightsaber ready to strike.

Ahsoka sensed the attack and leap away but she was caught in a force grip, similar to what happens in her nightmares. She couldn't move. Her lightsabers for forcibly turn out. Her throat constricting slowly but surely. Her life was slowly being squeezed away by her former master.

She could see him raise his lightsaber. _I've seen this before. So this is really how my life will end?_ She now had tunnel vision. The last thing she remembered is Anakin' enraged eyes locked with her own, and the sound of a light saber swing, then everything went dark.

 _I'm sorry… I was too late…_

A/N:

First dialogue came from the Rebels trailer.

I've always liked the idea of an AU RotS. This story takes place during the movie, if it weren't already obvious. It is meant to be a one shot. My own personal take on how Ahsoka and Anakin's meeting would've been like at the temple if she were present during the purge.

TCW's S05 Finale hit me right in the feels for both Anakin and Ahsoka. And I simply had to write something about these two great characters.

This is supposed to be a one shot. Interpret the ending as you see fit.

Thought I wrote this story with a continuation in mind (multi chapter type of story). I already have a rough idea of how this will turn out. The point of view will probably be Ahsoka's most of the time and Anakin/Vader, but may switch to others when needed.

Other Notes:

Anakin wasn't leading the charge head on with the clones during the attack at the Jedi Temple. I pegged him at arriving after the first two waves of clones. At this point, Mace Windu was the only Jedi that Anakin has killed. Though he still turned to the dark side. I can't picture him killing younglings so soon after turning, let the clones do the dirty work. :

Jedi Starfighter (ETA-2) – the same type Anakin and Obiwan used in RotS, and I know they don't have hyperspace capabilities, but in this story, let's just pretend that they do :D


End file.
